


not unexpected

by auntie_lucifer



Category: The Witcher (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia Apologizes, Jaskier is angry, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:41:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,814
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22244251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/auntie_lucifer/pseuds/auntie_lucifer
Summary: Geralt and Jaskier meet again after a year. Geralt wants to apologize but Jaskier is angry.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 26
Kudos: 547





	not unexpected

**Author's Note:**

> wow I took a loooong break from writing. 
> 
> thanks to amazing @WinterLadyy for fixing my spelling mistakes. ily.

This was not unexpected.

Their meeting was inevitable. Too many commonalities between them to not meet again even if it was the last thing Jaskier wanted.

Truth be told he was angry at Geralt. All the things, all the accusations that the Witcher spat out on that mountaintop were unwarranted and untrue. Sure, he felt bad for him for all the shit Geralt had to endure in his life. But after giving it some thought he got only angrier and angrier. He might have been present while they happened but it was not his fault that Geralt seemed to always get involved with things that end up kicking him in the ass.

So seeing him now he felt all that emotion creeping up on him. But he had just enough dignity to pretend he didn't see him on the other side of an old tavern. Instead, he tried to focus on his next song and give his best performance yet.

He smiled to himself and started singing.

The ballad was an old sailors’ song. The lyrics were full of anger at sea and fate. The sound of the lute itself somehow brought on the image of the sea at a storm. It was vivid and given the fact that bard had been singing for the last couple of hours, his voice was a bit rough. This made the song sound even better and more emotional.

Then the lyrics turned. The anger wasn't directed at the sea anymore. It was directed at the captain.

"You took a wrong turn, that's not our fault

You took a wrong turn, the blame is all yours

Don't lie to yourself, you know as well as I

keep the ship, it yours, we did our time"

At this very verse, Jaskier looked Geralt straight in the eye. Except he got so lost in the action he changed the line to _that's not my fault._

If Geralt was a normal man he would get a reaction, even if it was slight. Eye movement in any direction other than the bard, a twitch of a brow, a slight shake of lips. Anything, really.

But Geralt was not human. And Jaskier didn't get any reaction. He held the bards gaze steadily even if his stomach was turning in on itself. He had never seen the bard so seething, all of his anger visible and clearly directed at Geralt. And the Witcher had to admit, it was quite a sight. Even with his brows furrowed and face twisted with emotion Jaskier was beautiful.

He knew Jaskier was livid. Geralt deserved it for having said what he said. Yet still, when he picked up a trace of his bard he couldn’t give it up. He came here to apologize and do anything he could to win Jaskier’s affection again.

The song was over and patrons in the tavern applauded the singer. He got coin from them, waved and thanked them for generosity.

"Thanks, folks. That's it for now, don't want my throat to get sore. Not to worry, I will be back in the evening."

He put his lute on his back and started walking up to the stairs leading to rooms on the upper floor of the tavern. He barely got to close the doors his room before there was a knock.

At first, he thought about just ignoring it. But at the same time, he was curious.

He opened the door and Geralt stood before him.

He didn't let him in but also didn't say a thing. So they stood there for a couple of seconds in complete silence just looking at each other.

Jaskier took the larger mans face in. he hadn’t aged a day which was appropriate for a Witcher. But he did look different. Like he was smaller, more tired. There where dark circles under his eyes and his face was even more pale than usual.

Finally, Geralt broke the silence.

"May I come in?"

"What for?" Jaskier wasn’t having this. He wouldn’t give anything to Geralt that easily.

"I just want to talk" He even sounded tired.

"Didn't you say enough?"

"I said too much."

That got Jaskier chuckling. "Yeah, you did. So what makes you think I want to hear any more of what you have to say?"

To Geralt that felt more like a slap than if Jaskier had actually punched him. If he was completely honest with himself he hadn't considered that the bard, his bard, wouldn't want to have anything to do with him. He knew that his words cut deep, he knew that Jaskier would be hurt. But he didn't think it would be as bad as it was.

He knew rejection. He had known it all his life, it was an old friend. But he had grown fond of Jaskier, his constant singing, talking, fidgeting. Jaskier was a ray of sunshine in his shit of a life.

He couldn't lose that. Not after he had known it for so long.

So he decided to let him do what he would if the situation was reversed.

"Punch me"

Jaskier looked shocked.

"What the fuck?"

Geralt grumbled. "Come on, you will feel better. Punch me"

Jaskier took a step back and shook his head.

"You know what? I wanted to. But as soon as you said it, I don't. You want to talk? What do we have to talk about? A year has passed Geralt. A whole year. I've done so many things, been to so many places and I still have nothing to say to you." Against his will, his voice broke a little. "So goodbye, be on your merry way.” He could’ve stopped right there. But then again he was hurting about this for a long time so he decided to give the Witcher some of his own medicine. “How is Yennefer by the way? Still a bitch I presume? I guess no one else would be interested in spending so much time with the Butcher."

That earned him some response. Geralt visibly flinched at Jaskier, when he called him that, but his conscience told him he had earned it for what had happened.

“You used to spend even more time with me. What does that make you?”

“A fool, probably.“

Geralt sighed, somewhat resigned. He felt tired. And lonely. He often felt that since he and Jaskier had parted ways a year ago.

“I will ask once more, may I come in? Please, Jaskier let me apologize to you properly. I don’t want this to end like it did.”

“Such a change of heart,” Jaskier said to that, with irony laid so thick one could cut it.

Despite his tone, he let Geralt in. He didn’t really know why, he could just shut the door in his face. But the same kind of curiosity that made him open the door earlier, now makes him move aside.

The room was sparse but it was to be expected from a small tavern located by an even smaller road. At least Geralt couldn’t see any bugs on the floor, which itself was a luxury in those parts.

Jaskier pointed out to him a small chair by the window and Geralt sat down, with the bard standing above him.

“So?”

Geralt cleared his throat. “So.” He made a brief pause. “I wanted to apologize to you. What I said back then was untrue and unfair. I was angry at myself and I couldn’t understand it, so I took it all out on you. Which was also unfair.” He looked up at Jaskier and held his gaze. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it and I’ve been missing you ever since.” He swallowed loudly. “Will you forgive me?”

Jaskier stared at him for a second. And then he punched him straight in the jaw.

“Ow, fuck! Gods above! How is your jaw so hard!”

“It’s part of the training.”

They looked at each other and both start to chuckle. After a few seconds, their eyes met again. This time they were both a bit more fond and less hostile. But it didn’t last and Geralt’s face fell. Jaskier noticed and immediately said,

“I probably won’t be as expressive as I used to be for a while. I was so angry with you that I think I might have forgotten what being your friend was like except for that one moment. But, I think, eventually I will be able to forgive you.” He took a deep breath and sit on the bed to Geralt’s left side. “To be honest I've heard worse accusations in my life. Some of them true. But none of them has ever cut me as deep as yours. And I think we both know why. “

The last sentence was barely audible but he knew that Witcher's heightened senses would pick up on it.

Geralt felt even worse then he had before coming here.

“So she was right.”

Jaskier raised his head, face full of confusion.

“What?”

“Yennefer.” Jaskier rolled his eyes. “She is why I am here. She had to explain what I did to you because and I quote “I have the emotional intelligence of an average brick." She talked me into this."

Jaskier was even more confused.

“Why? I thought she hated me.”

“She doesn’t like you but she doesn’t hate you. And she was the one to tell me why I was so miserable this past year.”

Jaskier looked at him, searched his face. He found nothing but fondness there.

The bard looked down for a second. “Umm… so… what. What exactly did she tell you?” He was not stupid and he knew about witches’ ability to read minds. Yet he hoped that maybe she hadn’t shared what had clearly been on Jaskier’s mind when he had seen them together the last time.

Geralt stood up and took a few steps to the bed, before kneeling in front of the bard.“What do you think she could’ve told me that made me ride across the country to you?”

Jaskier looked away. “So you know now. This isn’t how I wanted you to find out. But I’ll take what I’m given.” He took a deep breath. “I do love you Geralt. I have for a long time. And I agree with Yennefer you do have the emotional intelligence of a brick if you hadn’t noticed.”

Geralt laughed shortly at that. He got up from his knees and sat down next to Jaskier, his arms draping over the other man’s. “I do. I know.”

Jaskier laid his head on Geralt’s shoulder and for a second, it was quiet.

Then Geralt said, soft and a bit unsure, “I love you too. I’m sorry it took being so long without you for me to realize that.”

Jaskier sighed. “It’s very hard to stay angry at you when you’re so close.”

“Then I won’t leave again.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading ❤
> 
> come say hi: ataleofbardsandwitchers on tumblr (a geraskier side blog)


End file.
